Marshall Willen II vs JBL Go 3

Last updated: October 1, 2026

Short answer: the Willen II for cleaner tuning, the JBL Go 3 for a pocketable IP67 shell. The Willen II is more balanced than the first Willen with no sharp treble, though its bass is shallow and its midrange can sound congested at volume. The Go 3 is genuinely pocket-sized at 0.5 lbs (209 g) and survives full submersion in a meter of water for 30 minutes, but it has not much bass and a strange mids peak.

Marshall Willen II vs JBL Go 3

Buy the Marshall Willen II if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the JBL Go 3 if the price matters more than sound quality.

There is a real battery-life gap here: the Marshall Willen II is rated for 17 hours, the JBL Go 3 only 5 hours.

Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

Marshall Willen II JBL Go 3
Price$129.99$39.95
Ranked#11 of 50 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#28 of 50 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
AppYesNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)70Hz87Hz
Battery Life17 hours (Manufacturer specified)5 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Built-in MicrophoneYesYes
EQYesNo
IP RatingIP67IP67
Party ModeNoNo
Power BankNoNo
Power InputUSB-CUSB-C
StereoNoNo
OmnidirectionalPointing upPointing up
TWSNoNo
Weight0.8 lbs (360 g)0.5 lbs (209 g)
Aux InputNoNo
BluetoothYesYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBCSBC
Bluetooth Version5.35.1
Frequency Response75Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)110Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Charging Time2.5 hours2.5 hours
Drivers2” (51mm) full-range with dual passive radiators36mm full-range driver
Dimensions3.9” x 1.7” x 3.9” (99 x 43 x 99 mm)3.4” x 2.7” x 1.6” (86 x 69 x 40 mm)
Amplifier Power10W4.2W
Digital Aux InputNoNo
StrapYes (built-in strap)Yes (built-in loop)
Maximum SPL-88dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)

More worthwhile head-to-heads for Marshall Willen II:

Prices on this page were last checked October 3, 2026 at 10:26 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Speakers In Full

Marshall Willen II: $129.99 Amazon eBay

Marshall Willen II ranking card

Older model: the Marshall Willen (ranked lower, rated 3.8/5).

Pros: More balanced than the first Willen, no sharp treble. Measured bass extension of 70Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not that deep of bass. Fairly low max output vs pricier speakers; midrange can sound a bit congested at volume. No aux input.

Amplifier Power10W
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)70Hz
Battery Life17 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Version5.3
Built-in MicrophoneYes
Charging Time2.5 hours
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions3.9” x 1.7” x 3.9” (99 x 43 x 99 mm)
Drivers2” (51mm) full-range with dual passive radiators
EQYes
Frequency Response75Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
OmnidirectionalPointing up
Party ModeNo
Power BankNo
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
StrapYes (built-in strap)
TWSNo
Weight0.8 lbs (360 g)

JBL Go 3: $39.95 Amazon eBay

JBL Go 3 ranking card

Newer model: the JBL Go 5, ranked higher, rated 3.2/5.

Pros: Genuinely pocket-sized at 209g. IP67 rated, survives full submersion in a meter of water for 30 minutes. Rope loop for clipping to a bag. Measured bass extension of 87Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not much bass at all, strange mids peak.

Amplifier Power4.2W
AppNo
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)87Hz
Battery Life5 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Version5.1
Built-in MicrophoneYes
Charging Time2.5 hours
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions3.4” x 2.7” x 1.6” (86 x 69 x 40 mm)
Drivers36mm full-range driver
EQNo
Frequency Response110Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
Maximum SPL88dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
OmnidirectionalPointing up
Party ModeNo
Power BankNo
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
StrapYes (built-in loop)
TWSNo
Weight0.5 lbs (209 g)